DIVISORIA HAUL 2017 | DENIM OVERLOAD (PLUS SHOPPING TIPS AT DIVISORIA)

By Athina Angliongto - 3:00:00 PM

Hey babes! So here's the thing: back in June of this year, I went to Manila to attend my best friend's wedding (see ootd post HERE). The day after her wedding, Mr. A and I went to Divisoria (again) since his house is just a few blocks away from the well-known shopping area in Manila. Plus, it has always been our "routine" to go to Divisoria and buy a few things before we go back home to Davao City.

The last time we visited just January of this year, we got a bunch of makeup related stuff(see my previous 2017 Divisoria Haul post HERE). During our second visit, I decided to ditch the makeup stuff (since I still have a lot of unused stuff) and focus on buying clothes. For this trip, I was able to score a few denim clothes which I am about to share in this haul post.

Let's get started!

Blue Denim Pants with Flower Details (Php 250) - the decision to buy this pair of pants was because of a slight katangahan on my part. I went to Manila bringing only one pair of pants (which was the pants that I wore going TO Manila). I didn't bring any other type of bottoms either (aside from my pajamas) and there was no way on earth that I would wear my pajamas going to church or to just go anywhere. Like, NO! So I decided to buy at least one pair of pants for me to wear during the weekend. Lucky for me, this was the first pair of pants that I tried on and it fit me perfectly. I also love the details at the bottom part of the pants. I got this one from one of the boutiques located at the second floor of 999 mall.

Denim Skirt (Php 200) - I love the details of this skirt and it only cost 200 pesos. I saw the exact same skirt being sold at one of the boutiques in Davao but it cost more than twice than what I paid for. Lucky me!

Acid Washed Denim Shorts (Php 120) - this pair of shorts caught my eye because of its light greenish acid washed color. And for only 120 pesos, I grabbed this shorts right away because that amount is such a steal already. However, I found out a little later on that the shorts were a bit big on me. But I can still wear this one though with the help of a tight belt. So all is well.

DENIM SHORTS WITH FLOWER DETAIL (Php 200) - I guess I have a thing for garments with flower patches on them (just like the pants that I mentioned earlier). I got this one for only 200 pesos and it fits me really well. Funny story: There was no fitting room in the boutique where this was being sold. Good thing the pants that I brought to Manila were a bit thin so all I had to do was estimate and hope for the best. When I got home and tried it on freely, it was a big YEAY!

Aside from these four denim bottoms, I was also able to buy non-denim items as well.

Bracelet Set (Php 85) - another set of bracelets to add to my arm party collection. I just love the colors of the beads on the bracelets.

Floral Flats (Php 150) - you read it right, 150 pesos for these beautiful pair of flats. And another good news is that they are soooo comfy to wear! I also wanted to buy another pair like this one but in the color Black but the store didn't have size 7 anymore. So I only got this one.

Those are the stuff that I got from Divisoria. Inexpensive and stylish, right?

I would like to cap off this post by sharing a few tips with you when shopping in Divisoria that might come in handy in the future:

1.) Dress down - I think we are all aware that Divisoria is not only home to cheap items, but also to potential thieves lurking around and waiting for their next prey. So guys, ditch the jewelry, designer bags, the bling, and just wear a comfy pair of old jeans/leggings and a long tee. Just try not to look expensive to avoid getting a thief's attention.

2.) Hydration - drink a glass of water before going to Divisoria. Trust me! you are going to need it. Although Divisoria malls like 168, 999 have airconditioning, the number of people visiting make a tough competition when competing for air. Just avoid dehydration and you are good to go even if you can't feel much air from the aircondition.

3.) If hydration is not enough, bring a hand fan or a small electric fan - if you don't have one, you can always buy one there (especially the batteries). This is what Mr. A does (since he's quite maarte and can't stand a place without or less aircon). He brings a small electric fan with him while he follows me around in Divisoria. That electric fan is just what I need for him to extend a bit of patience around me while I shop. Ha ha!

4.) Bring Small Bills -Bringing of small bills actually helps in budgeting and also helps avoid scam. A friend of mine once told me that she was scammed by one of the boutiques in Divisoria. The total amount of her purchase was only around 200 and she gave the cashier 1000 pesos because that was the only bill she had. Then the cashier shortchanged her and she only realized this when she went back to her hotel (which was an hour and a half away from Divisoria). I didn't want that to happen to me that's why I always bring small bills with me to make the effort to at least give the almost exact amount when it was my turn to pay for my purchases. So far so good for me.

5.) Bring a big shopping tote bag - one that has a zipper on it. A bag big enough to put all your purchases inside it. During my first Divisoria trip back in 2014, I didn't bring a big tote bag with me so I ended up bringing all my purchases inside their respective plastic bags which was a bit of a hassle. Plus, I also ended up losing one plastic bag which contained a pair of boots that I bought during that time. Because of the number of plastic bags that I was bringing, I couldn't check up on all of them while I was walking. That's why a tote bag is a good idea so that you can just put the items there after each purchase and that bag will be the only item (aside from your own bag, of course) that you need to watch out for while braving the crowd at Divisoria.

Those are my tips (so far) while shopping at Divisoria plus my Denim Overload Divisoria Haul. I hope you were able to learn a thing or two from this blog post.

By the way, I also made a Youtube video featuring all the stuff on this post. Check it out now! Don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe to my Youtube Channel. :)